Overseer Visits

by sandy 44 Replies latest jw experiences

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  amac

  Wow SS! At least your CO was somewhat on the ball getting after your elders.

  Then, instead of the CO working with the pioneers, he'd assign his wife MAYBE, or worse he'd have you work with the never-outs. He'd work with the elders and his wife with the elders wives.

  That drove me crazy too! I never made a concerted effort to work with the CO, but you would think he would either search out the spiritual weak or work with those who do the majority of the preaching work...not the elders who maybe go out a couple hours on Saturday. I didn't really personally care, but it bothered me that these spitiual leaders weren't doing what they should be doing.
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  stillajwexelder

  Yep - at CO visits -- everything is done by the book - -meetings do not go over time etc .Usually a time for some ass kissing by the elders. But simple sally I am afraid you have touched on another sore point with me about the organization -- it is back to the no love and very little caring thing -- as long as you get those hours on a record card that is all that matters -- and elders can not count time on shepherding calls -- but hey actually if you are unbaptized they can so guess what - -yes -- the unbaptized ones get the shepherding calls -- anyone who works hard in the congregation , pioneers etc, do not get shepherding calls -- they truly do imitaite Jesus Christ dont they -- you know JC -THE MASTER SHEPHERD -- it really angers me . Then they call themselves Jehovahs happy people and all that stuff.
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  minimus

  It's called deep appreciation.......The traveling overseers along with their wives, give up "everything" to take care of us. The least we can do is show appreciation for all their hard work.
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  micheal

  Did you ever notice during those elders meetings with the C.O whenever the C.O made a funny ( even though it wasn't ) every elder would suddenly come up with this huge belly laugh. Gimme a friggin break.
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  Gopher

  It was sick how a lot of people played up to the C.O., as if he was Jesus Christ or something.

  But the visits do serve the Society's purpose quite well --- they want to make sure that the congregations are staying in line.
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  seeitallclearlynow

  MIMIMUS - I agree!!!! I hope you're being serious about your comment - because that's why I made an extra effort most of the time when the Circuit Overseer came. I didn't talk much to the brother and his wife, unless placed in a car group with one of them, but I thought the talks were always better than usual, attendance was better than usual, and it was actually upbuilding, even exciting, to be around when they were here. I would occasionally hear comments similar to what I'm reading here about the increased effort on the part of some who maybe wouldn't otherwise be at the meeting or out in service, and it surprised me. I pointed out to one sister once who was elevating herself by looking down on the others for "showing up" as she put it, that you can't fake it w/ the CO - he examines the records of the publishers w/ the elders, and they tell him who the weak ones are - so no one is trying to pull anything over on the brother or his wife - they just want to be with them. Some people draw you, and some people don't -- and also, I ALWAYS felt sorry for the wives of the CO's - what a life!!!!

  Love and best wishes to all.
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  minimus

  Seeit----That's the same reason to attend the Memorial------APPRECIATION----- And regarding the comment made about the elders bellylaughs during a "funny" that the CO made, it used to aggravate me, too.....although I was laughing because the elder carrying on was SOOOOO stupid!
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  Sassy

  I always got upset when the elders fell in line like everything was perfect and everyone was loving for 'show' for the CO...

  but I did used to look forward to the CO visits because their speaking ability was usually examplary. You did feel like you got a boost.. Of course now I know it was a boost on a blind path..

  oh and yeah.. they always PUSHED for 100% field participation. I remember being in a small congregation and our family was the only one who couldn't make it.. it was pointed out that only one family didn't make it.. sure was encouraging to have that announced to the whole cong!
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  amac

  The other thing that cracked me up was towards the end of my active JW ism, I wasn't going out in service at all and not turning in time. Never heard anything from the elders about it until a couple weeks before CO visit I would get a message on the answering machine saying they needed my time for the last 6 months. This happened twice, the first time he pinned me and I made up some numbers. The second time I was able to avoid him until after the CO visit with the hope that the CO would ask why I was inactive and what they have done to help.....and get a blank stare in return (or a lie.)
• 

  undercover

  Did you ever notice during those elders meetings with the C.O whenever the C.O made a funny ( even though it wasn't ) every elder would suddenly come up with this huge belly laugh. Gimme a friggin break.

  Reminds me of one CO that came through an old congegation that I was in. This CO was a real A-hole. The Congregation Overseer(the little co) and the CO did not get along at all. The little co knew what a pompous ass the CO was. When the CO was on the stage telling his little jokes or looking for help from the elders for answers to harder questions, the little co just stared a hole through him. The other elders were just as described by others though, on time(for a change), prepared(for a change) and guffawed at all his stupid jokes and basically followed him around and kissed his ass.

  At one point of my JW life, I was guilty of putting forth the "extra effort" during the COs visits. Evening witnessing, Saturday and Sunday field service. But somewhere along the way, I realized that these guys are no better than anyone else and they aren't Jesus coming to inspect the troops so why bother with this facade. After that I did nothing more or less than any other week. It caused some concern with the elders since I was an MS, but I didn't care. None of them really ever confronted me for some reason.